Iceland Photography Workshop

Iceland Photography Workshop

Explore the wondrous icy landscapes of Iceland on an exciting photography workshop

Iceland is landscape of wonders. It’s a place of surreal winter landscapes, unique natural shapes, and remarkably colourful skies – and an abundance of photographic inspiration. Join us there for an exploration of this magical country through your lens with National Geographic photographer Tyrone turner! This Iceland photo tour will take you to the country’s photographic highlights. You’ll photograph the cascading waters of the Seljalandsfoss and Gulfoss waterfalls, climb towering glaciers, marvel at powerful geysirs, and soak in a steaming hot pool of a geothermal lagoon. We’ll take a boat onto a Glacier Lagoon and capture spectacular sunrises and sunsets. And if we’re lucky, we’ll get to experience and photograph the famous Northern Lights. On top of this, we’ll explore Icelandic culture during visits to picturesque villages.

You’ll have the privilege to be guided by acclaimed photographer Tyrone Turner, who will provide photographic tutoring throughout the workshop. The combination of Iceland’s exceptional beauty and Tyrone’s expertise will leave you with inspiration, improved skills, and a collection of impressive photographs.

HIGHLIGHTS

Explore the southern coast of Iceland, which offers a wide range of incredible and unique landscapes

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The Destination

During this Iceland photo tour, we will travel across the striking southern part of Iceland, where we find most of the country’s photographic highlights. We’ll start our trip by visiting the Blue Lagoon, Stampahraun Lava Field, and Reykjanes Light House. The natural underground water source of the lagoon and the dried, ancient texture of the lava fields make for stunning landscape photography opportunities. We’ll also have a chance to visit the Gunnuhver Mud Pool, which provides an experience not to be missed; you can go for a swim in pools of vitamin-enriched mud naturally heated by volcanic activity under the Earth’s surface.

We’ll then explore Iceland’s stunning coast, where we will spend the day photographing the striking and best known waterfall in the country, Seljalandsfoss. From there, we’ll travel to the East Region, which might get a little chilly! We will be taking a boat ride in the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, a relatively recent body of water formed by rising temperatures melting the glacial ice into a massive pool of water. Touring the lagoon by boat will allow you to get the closest to the floating glaciers as possible, producing the best results in your photographs.

Throughout the trip, we’ll stop at picturesque villages to learn about Icelandic culture, climb glaciers to get in touch with our adventurous side, and stop to capture the striking landscapes when the light is at its best. It will be a full photographic exploration of a country with a truly unique character.

Itinerary (March 5 - 12, 2018)

Day 1

After arriving in the KEF International airport, we will take a transfer to the Reykjanes Peninsula. On our way, we will stop at many naturally occurring landscapes begging to be photographed. Among these are: The Blue Lagoon, Stampahraun Lava field, Reykjanes Light house, Gunnuhver Mud Pool, Krísuvík Cliffs, and Kleifarvatn Lake. The Blue Lagoon Geothermal Waters are one of the 25 wonders of the world. These crystal blue pools originate 2,000 meters below the earth’s surface, and have a unique composition of silica, algae and minerals that do wonders for the skin. The lagoon holds 9 million liters of water and the most relaxing atmosphere you can imagine, at temperatures of 37-40 degrees Celsius. The lava fields will take you back to a time when volcanic eruptions were a frequent occurrence, and the Reykjanes Light house, the oldest in Iceland, was first built. Next it will be time to get dirty in the mud pools- hot and steaming from the geothermal waters under the earth’s surface. They are named after a ghost who supposedly lies there still. We will end the day by visiting the peninsula’s largest lake and gorgeous Krisuvik Cliffs.

As our first day comes to a close, we will rest and rejuvenate at the Frost & Fire Hotel. Located in a beautifully tranquil and secluded part of Hveragerdi, these accommodations provide comfort, gorgeous views, and delicious meals.

Day 2

Day two is reserved for Iceland’s popular South coast, packed with some of the country’s most iconic landmarks. Our main highlight of the day will be visiting the Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, one of the best known water sources in Iceland. Sparkling white falls gracefully plummet sixty-three meters into the Seljalands River; this water cycles back into the sources’ origin in the volcanic glacier Eyjafjallajökull. The falls will provide you with very unique photographic opportunities. The Seljalandsfoss allows access to a mysterious cave and walking path behind the cascading water- you will be seeing the crystal curtains of water drop from inside the cliff!

We will cap the evening’s magic at Hotel Geirland in the Kirkjubæjarklaustur area of the South coast. Keep your night eyes open- if weather allows, you may see the Northern Lights shining above our accommodation’s gorgeous landscape.

Day 3

Day 3 will mark our third visit to one of Iceland’s natural wonders- the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. Unlike a lot of the country’s historic landscape, this work of nature developed relatively recently, as a result of the climate’s increasing temperatures. As the glacier Breiðamerkurjökull adjusts to rising temps, ice chunks continually break off and float into a lagoon of melted ice. We will travel by boat across the water’s surface, getting as close to chunks of glacier as safely possible. We will spend the day photographing the incredibly unique landscape, and at night we will shoot the sky for the Northern Lights.

After a rewarding day, we will kick back at Hótel Smyrlabjörg in the Höfn area of the East region. These open country accommodations promise quaint landscapes, luxurious rooms, and a delicious buffet restaurant.

Day 4

The morning will be spent photographing Höfn village for an authentic cultural experience. This local fishing town is next to an abandoned film set replicating a Viking village, and is truly unlike anywhere else in the world. In the afternoon we will drive back to the South Coast to stay once more at the beautiful Hotel Geirland. In the evening be prepared to take advantage of the fantastic views of the Northern Lights!

Day 5

The fifth day of our photographic adventure will be open to what you want to do. The tour group will be driving back to Selfoss, the largest town on the South Coast, from Kirkjubæjarklaustur, to stay at the Frost & Fire Hotel. We will pass through areas previously visited, so you can go back to locations you want to explore further with your photographic lens. You will also have the opportunity to adventure in the streets of Selfoss.

Day 6

Day six is all about photographing waterfalls and hot springs! The Geysir Hot Spring is a massive attraction in Iceland. Hot geothermal waters underneath the earth’s crust remain boiling hot year round due to underground volcanic activity. Steam and hot water is regularly shot up to 30 meters into the air by geysers fired up by nature’s hot magma. Freezing motion has never been more fun! We will also visit the Gulfoss Waterfall, which drops into a gorgeously picturesque canyon, surrounded by walls up to 70 meters high. If we are lucky enough to have a sunny day, a shining rainbow is known to hover above the cascading waters.

We will spend the evening at Fransiskus Hotel in Stykkisholmur, where beautifully atmospheric and cozy bedrooms will lull you into a peaceful sleep.

Day 7

We will stay in the Snæfellsnes Peninsula for Day 7, visiting various locations that any visitor would never want to miss. These include: the Berserkjahraun lava field, Mt. Kirkjufell, Kirkjufellsfoss Waterfall, Djúpalónssandur Beach, Mt. Arnarstapi, and Stykkishólmur village. We will spend our last night at the Fransiskus Hotel to ensure a restful and relaxing sleep.

Day 8

We'll get in the last shots in the warm morning light. Then we will take a transfer from Stykkishólmur to KEF Intl Airport, where you'll catch a flight home.

The price includes:

The price doesn’t include:

Flights to Reykjavik

Personal travel insurance

Lunch & dinner

The Photography

During this Iceland photo tour, the photographic inspiration is endless. Our main focus will be on landscape photography, as it’s Iceland’s striking and distinctive vistas that make the country so unique. Expect to photograph a wide range of different landscapes, under the best possible light conditions. We’ll also explore some cultural photography as we visit some of quaint Icelandic villages. On top of this, we’ll do some night photography and if we’re lucky, this will include the famous and phenomenal Northern Lights.

YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS

Tyrone will be there to assist you throughout the workshop and help you take the best possible images. His tuition will be tailored to everyone’s level; you’ll be able to get as much or as little guidance as you’d like. Tuition will most likely include camera settings, exposure, aperture, creative techniques, as well as post-processing. The tuition will happen both during sessions at our accommodation, and while we’re out photographing; it’s flexible adaptable to everyone’s needs.

WORKSHOP LEADER

More about Tyrone Turner

You will have the privilege of being tutored by Tyrone Turner, an award-winning photographer and an experienced workshop leader. Based in the US, Tyrone has traveled extensively to document a range of social and environmental issues. As fellows for the Institute of Current World Affairs (ICWA), Tyrone and his wife, Susan Sterner, documented life in the Northeast of Brazil for several years. In 2003, the Soros Foundation awarded him a Justice Media Fellowship to photograph the lives of youths incarcerated in the adult correctional system. For the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the American Academy of Nursing, he has documented health and healthcare around the United States.

Tyrone is a regular contributor to National Geographic Magazine, project mentor for the photojournalism program at the Corcoran School of Art + Design, and a fellow with the News Literacy Project.

RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT

Tyrone recommends the following gear:

SLR camera

Range of lenses; ideally including a wide angle lens

Tripod or bean bag

Sturdy camera bag

Laptop if you’re keen to improve your post-production skills, and/or if you’d like to review your images with Tyrone